Bring back WWII remains

I am writing this on a day when we are celebrating or at least commemorating the end of World War II. Few are alive who remember. A few more have heard stories directly from the participants. Most know of this only from history books or the movies. It is quickly becoming our forgotten war.

But here is an alarming fact: MIAs didn't start with Vietnam. Officially, there are over 83,000 MIAs and most are from WWII. Yet our government is committed to recovering only 200 in any year. They have never met even this modest goal. There are at least seven to 15 MIA American flyers from WWII who have been located for years in Italy. Yet our government has not returned the remains of these young men to American soil and their loved ones. This is a national embarrassment. For all of their reported interest in veterans' affairs, the Missouri congressional delegation does not seem to be interested in this as an issue.

Returning servicemen and women are thanked and celebrated. The fallen are returned and honored. The missing are ignored and forgotten by our government. That's a shame on all of us.

Harry B. Kiefer, Cape Girardeau